zhund has been shot in and around Nagpur, mainly its poorer areas and slums. That will help maintaining Nagpur’s hidden secret of livability. The movie is more a message rather than concentrating on a single person’s story. But it has been done without preachiness, or a holier than thou attitude anywhere. In fact most characters stand out for not overacting even when they are playing stereotypical roles of a minister or of a police inspector. The story of privilege (and its absence) is there for everyone to see.
 |
| Photo courtesy: The Indian Express |
Because it is not a story of a single hero out there to solve a single problem, some people may not much like the arc - after all, it is something that you see around you all the time - if your eyes are open. It has many subtle references to behavior that is considered normal (when not), and hence not acted upon. In short, of normalized behavior. Especially the baggage one carries, and often needs to leave behind for a fresh start (either for yourself or for someone else).
There are other subtle aspects like the scene where an idol needs to be uprooted and moved to another location. I loved it.
It touches upon practical problems of the downtrodden who have not had a way to get out, if only because they haven’t realized there is a way. I hope more of them see the movie as a positive and try to get out of it, or at least help their children do so. After all, a majority from the privileged class may choose to try to increase the divide rather than reduce it.
The story is based on real incidents that happened a few decades back. I do not know if that included the rivalry shown. That definitely seemed a bit far-fetched, just as the love angle seemed a bit premature.
Amitabh is stellar as usual. He is 80, and yet has done the role of a just about retiring teacher very well. I am glad he did this role.
Nagraj Manjule has shown once again that he is a director to continue looking out for not just for his Marathi movies, but also for his Hindi movies.
In some sequence (and in the credits) the camera focus/sharpness leaves a bit to be desired …
Among real life connections, I would like to call out Ganesh Birajdar who is currently working along with his team to educate children from Nagpur and surrounding areas through the Learning Companions initiative.
Posts
